Varaha Purana 186.48: Adhyaya 186, Shloka 48
Ritual Procedure for Installing Silver and Gold Images, and the Special Status of Śālagrāma
शालग्रामशिलायोगात् पावनं तद्भवेत्सदा ॥ दद्याद्भक्ताय यो देवि शालग्रामशिलां नरः ॥
śālagrāmaśilāyogāt pāvanaṃ tad bhavet sadā || dadyād bhaktāya yo devi śālagrāmaśilāṃ naraḥ ||
శాలగ్రామ శిలతో సంబంధముచేత అది ఎల్లప్పుడూ పవిత్రకరమగును; ఓ దేవీ, భక్తునికి శాలగ్రామ శిలను దానం చేసే పురుషుడు ప్రశంసనీయుడు.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not marked in this śloka fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"earth_interaction":"Address to Devī (likely Bhū-devī in dialogue frame) while praising Śālagrāma’s purificatory association and the merit of gifting it."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Association with Śālagrāma is always purifying; gifting a Śālagrāma stone to a bhakta is a meritorious dāna.","karmic_consequence":"Perpetual purification through contact/association; dāna to a worthy devotee yields heightened puṇya and spiritual uplift (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"sacral ontology and ethics of gifting","core_concept":"Certain embodiments of the divine are intrinsically purifying; ethical transfer (dāna) to a bhakta amplifies sanctity through right recipienthood.","practical_application":"Treat Śālagrāma as a high-value sacred trust; if gifting, choose a devoted and responsible recipient; maintain purity and reverence in handling and installation."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Ethics","Material Culture"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: sacred stone/tīrtha provenance
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 186.49-51 (handling restrictions and distance worship); Varāha Purāṇa 186.52 (purificatory substances and prohibitions)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor respectfully offers a Śālagrāma stone wrapped in clean cloth to a devoted recipient; the stone radiates sanctity, suggesting constant purification.","item_prompts":["Śālagrāma stone (small dark ammonite-like form)","clean cloth wrapping","donor and bhakta recipient with añjali","water pot (kalaśa) and tulasī nearby","subtle aura/light around the stone"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized Śālagrāma with glowing outline; donor and bhakta in formal poses; tulasī and kalaśa as purity markers; warm earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf aura around Śālagrāma; richly ornamented figures; raised gem-like accents to signify ‘pāvana’ radiance.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant, restrained gifting scene; detailed cloth texture; soft halo; devotional calm on faces.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: hillside hermitage or courtyard; intimate exchange; bright garments; small but luminous Śālagrāma focal point."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent, laudatory","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"warm, devotional, affirmative"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic-era valuation of sacred objects (Śālagrāma stones) within domestic and temple ritual life, emphasizing gifting and purity as cultural practices.
No explicit geographic location appears in this verse; it centers on the sacred object (Śālagrāma-śilā) rather than a site-name.
The verse highlights gifting a Śālagrāma stone to a worthy/devoted recipient as a purificatory, commendable act.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.